"The Marksman"

Romantic opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber, text by Friedrich Kind. The horrors of the Thirty Years' War resonate in the story of the huntsman Max, who commits himself to dark forces in order to succeed in his shooting test. Only then can he win his beloved Agathe as his bride – and he even receives his father-in-law's hereditary forest estate as a dowry. His fears of failure drive him into the hands of his dubious friend Kaspar, who entices Max to secretly cast magical bullets that are supposed to secure his victory: six hit their target, but the seventh bullet is guided by the devil according to his will. House director Tomo Sugao stages the timeless story of young people on the brink of adulthood, each seeking different ways out of a community held together by mockery, peer pressure, rigid rules, and repressive piety. For more information: Website Staatstheater Cottbus.